Sunday 15 February 2015

How to pratfall like Lee Evans when running

The obligatory LSR selfie
and that sinking feeling in Woolwich
15.02.2015
Day 307
Sunday long slow run: 16miles, with about four miles at target marathon pace, but others super slow. Extraordinarily achey at the end.

We met at the track, and a Beckenham route was mooted. As that suburb never appeals, I rather highhandedly vetoed that run and instead led us a merry dance via Manor Park Gardens and Blackheath to the river. Trouble was, having taken on mother hen role, I felt duty bound to keep the group together, although that was never going to work, with people ranging from 8-10m/m.
In the event, there was a gradual paring off...and then there was one. The loneliness of the long-distance runner, who wants to do a few extra miles, and the hills above Woolwich. Except I ran the wrong way, so decided to ascend an interesting looking escarpment to see where I was. Hilariously (for anyone watching) the wet, clay-heavy soil might just as well have been ice for all the traction my road trainers offered. Every foothold I tried to place slid out from under my weight and brought me to my knees. At several points I feared sliding full frontal down the 20 or 30 foot slope I'd managed to scale. In the end, I had to grab barely rooted scrubby broom brunches to haul myself up. Gaining the summit, I was none the wiser as to how to get to Maryon Wilson Park
So I ended up running back along the Thames path again, then up to the top of Greenwich Park and back down to Lewisham. At least covering the extra miles brought me back on course for following the training plan. Now all I have to do is follow the Week 9 instructions for Tue-Fri, while trying to fulfil work commitments, without sliding into a slough of fatigue and falling on my arse again.

No comments:

Post a Comment